Electric outlet or fuse box



Aug. 19, 1958 R. J. OSHKOSH ETAL 2,848,581

ELECTRIC OUTLET OR FUSE BOX Filed Oct 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Pay /.0$H(0$H ism 4,90 5 M4) 7 INVENTORS ATTORNEYS Aug. 19, 1958 R. J. OSHKQSH mm.

ELECTRIC OUTLET OR FUSE Box 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001:. 16, 1956 Unite rates ELECTRlltC GUTLET GR FUSE BOX Roy .1. Oshkosh; Egg Harbor, and Bernard E. May,

Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

Application @ctoher 16, 1956, Serial No. 616,347

1 laim. (Cl. filth-133) This invention relates to electric outletor fuse boxes.

An object of this invention is to provide an outlet or fuse box which is so constructed and arranged that additional boxes or units maybe connected thereto without requiring replacement of the original box-or unit.

Another object of this invention is to provide an outlet or fuse box assembly embodying at least a pair of fuse boxes with means for coupling the electric terminals together from each box so as to thereby provide a single unit.

A further object of this invention is to provide in an outlet or fuse box, an extension box with means for firmly connecting the extension box onto the main box, and also with means for connection between the terminals of the two boxes for electrically connecting the boxes together.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combination of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail front elevation of an electrical outlet box constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail end elevation of the device.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device.

Fig. 4 is 'an exploded plan view of the device.

Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of one of the removable plugs used with this device.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical conductors embodied in this invention with the housings in dot-and-dash lines.

Fig. 7 is an exploded plan view showing the separable housings.

Fig. 8 is a detail front elevation showing one of the housings.

Fig. 9 is a detail front elevation showing a pair of the housing or boxes connected together.

Fig. 10 is a detail front elevation showing an additional box or housing connected with the pairs shown in Fig. 9.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals and 16 designate generally a pair of side abutting housings which are formed in rectangular configuration. The housing 15 is formed of a top wall 17, a bottom wall 13, one side wall 19 and a rear wall 20. One side of the housing 15 is open and the open side confronts the adjacent open side of housing or box 16. Housing or box 16 is formed similarly to housing 15, with the exception that one side wall 21 of housing 16 is removable and is provided at its upper and lower ends with a pair of right-angularly disposed lugs 22 which engage in keepers 23 struck upwardly from the top wall 24 of housing or box 16. The screw or other fastening member 2 84-8 581 Patented Aug. 19, 1958 2 25 extends through the keeper 23 for securely holding the lug 22 within the keeper 23. The top and bottom walls of housing 16 are provided with pairs of lugs 25 which are engageable in upwardly offset keepers 27 formed in the top wall 11 0f housing 15. The lugs 26 are securely held in the keepers 27 by means of screws .28.

a return conductor. A second conductor 35 is connected to a terminal 35 and the terminals Zdl and 36 provide for 220 volts,-whereas the combination of terminal 30 and bar 33 provides for volts.

The bus bar 32 extends below the dielectric body 29 and hasa right-angularly disposed bottom bar 37 secured thereto with which terminal screws 38 are connected. The body 29 has embedded or disposed therein a bus bar or conductor 39 which extends from. tenninal 30. A second L-shaped conductor 4-0 is connected with conductor 39 and extends through the upper end of body 29 and is connected with a terminal 41. The bus bar 411* includes a horizontally extending bar 42 which has secured to the end thereof confronting the open side of housing 15 a pair of clamping jaws or clips 43. Bar 32 has secured thereto between the ends thereof a horizontally extending bar 44, and bar 4-4 has fixed to the end thereof extending in the direction of the open side of housing 15, a pair of clamping jaws or clips 45. A bar 46 extends from terminal 36 and is connected at its lower end to a horizontal side 47 of an L-sh-aped bar 48. The bar 48 extends from a terminal 49 at the upper end of body 29. The horizontal side 47 extends in the direction of the open side of housing 15 and has secured thereto a pair of clamping jaws or clips 50.

A lower terminal 51 is carried by the body 29 and is connected by means of a conductor 52 to bar 42. A fuse 53 is interposed in conductor 52. A second lower terminal 54 is carried by body 2? and a conductor 55 connects terminal 54 with bar 47. The fuse 56 is interposed in conductor 55 and a terminal 57 is also carried by the lower end of housing 2.9 and is connected by means of a conductor 58 to wall 47. The fuse 59 is interposed in conductor 58. A terminal 60 is also carried by the lower end of body 29 and is connected by means of a conductor 61 to bar 4'7 with a fuse 62 interposed therein.

As shown in Fig. 6, a conductor 63 may be connected with terminal 51 and extended through the lower wall 13 for connection with one side of a lighting circuit in which a light bulb 64 is interposed. A second conductor 65 is connected with the bulb 64 and conductor 65 is connected to return bar 37.

The housing 16 is an extension housing and is formed similarly to housing 15 with the following exception, the diagrammatic body 29* has extending to the right wall in the direction of housing 15, bus bars 42*, 44 and 47 These bars 42 44 and 17 extend through the diagrammatic block or body 66 which is adapted at one end to abut against the body 2%. The body 66 is formed with plugs 67 at its outer end and the bars 42 44 and 47 project through the plugs 67. The side 68 of body 29 is formed with openings or sockets 69 through which the plugs 67 are adapted to extend in order that the projecting ends of bars 42 44 and 47 may engage between the adjacent clamping jaws or clips 43, 45 and St). The body 29 is similar to body 29 and the openings or sockets 69 may be normally closed by headed plugs 70 which may be formed of rubber or other insulating material.

A removable side Wall 21 of housing 16 has a front wall or closure 71 hingedly secured thereto by means of hinges 72. The plate or closure 71, as shown in Fig. 9 has hingedly secured thereto closures 73 and 74.

Where only a single housing as housing 15, is initially used the open side of housing 15 is closed by'means of a side wall 21 similar to side wall 21 and a front wall '71 may be hingedly carried by the side wall 21 with a small door or closure 73 carried by the closure 71*.

As shown in Fig. 10, there may be at least three housings connected together in side abutting relation, with each housing having separate closures, such as closures 73, 74- and 75. In other respects the structure shown in Fig. 10 is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 7.

With an extension electric outlet box, as hereinbefore described, where a single box will provide sufficient connections for the circuits in a building, the box 15, as shown in Fig. 8, may be initially set up. Where additional circuits are desired an additional box, such as box 16, may be connected with box 15 after the manner hereinbefore described The side wall 21 of box 15 is removed so that the open side of box 16 will communicate with the interior of the box 15 and the conductors 42 44 and 47 may engage the clamping members or clips 43, 45 and 50 in box 15.

What is claimed is:

In combination, a pair of side abutting housings, each housing having an open side confronting the other housing, cooperating locking means including apertured lugs carried by one of said housings and recessed keepers carried by the other of said housings for locking said housings together, bus bars in each housing, each bus bar of one housing having an angularly disposed end projecting in the direction of the other housing, a pair of clamping jaws carried by the angular end of each of said bus bars in said one housing, the bus bars of the other housing including right angular bar portions in horizontal alignment with said clamping jaws, said latter named bars projecting from the open side of said other housing for engagement with said clamping jaws, a dielectric body encompassing said right angular bars, and terminals electrically associated with each bus bar. 

